Precambrian Fossils

Paleontology and geology

Most Precambrian sediments in North Carolina have been metamorphosed. Four specimens of a very rare Precambrian fossil, Pteridinium carolinaense, have been discovered in the Carolina Slate Belt of central North Carolina. Pteridinium is an enigmatic organism that may (or may not!) be related to modern soft corals called sea pens. Its presence indicates that a sea was present over a portion of North Carolina during the Late Precambrian. This map indicates the presence of Precambrian rocks in the western, central, and northern portions of the state.